7th Jul 2006, 20:43

It’s been more than two years since I wrote this review. Since that time I had to replace the computer, but nothing else. The car was running fine, but it wouldn’t pass the state inspection (OBDII) That repair was expensive and had to be done by Saab.

That is really all I have done to the car except regular servicing. My wife drives this car everyday, everywhere. She loves the little Saab convertible. We have no plans to get rid of this car. My guess is that we will keep it till the odometer hits over 200,000. That’s about 100,000 miles away from now.

18th Feb 2010, 19:57

2010 and still driving the Saab. Nothing has gone wrong with the car. Nevertheless, we are talking about trading it for something with a little more room. The Saab is a decent and fun car. Some repairs can be more expensive than most other brands. Saab parts aren't cheap. Since Saab has been sold to an exotic car company, it will be interesting to see what happens.

For now we are still driving the Saab. I wouldn't even try to argue that this has been the best car we ever owned. But, it hasn't been a bad one, and we have had lots of fun driving this car. It's very pretty, and since it has been garaged its whole life, it looks close to new. With that said, I know I won't get much on trade. If you have some ability with car repairs, don't be fearful of the little Saabs. As a spare car, this convertible is great for a day in the sun.

General Comments:

I thought I loved this car the day I bought it, but within a week, I realized – This car is tiny. I’d just parted with my Ford Granada living room on wheels. So now I didn’t like it any more, because this was like a closet on wheels compared to the Granada. But over the coming months I began to notice things like; ‘This car is quick, this car is comfortable, this car is economical, this car is reliable.’ The list goes on.

One down side; Saab dealers know how to charge, I discovered this at my first service; IRP£390 (say €440) for what was effectively an oil change and a set of brake pads. I quickly learned how to change oil, plugs, and filters etc. So now I service it myself every 10000 Miles for approximately €50.

In summary, the car is an engineering masterpiece. Even though it’s a heavy 2.0 Liter Family Hatch, (it so wants to be a coupe) once you have come to a rapport with its willing engine, its solid Gearbox and its dynamic chassis / handling, you can out-maneuver any GTI in the hands of a driver who doesn’t understand his car, (and that’s most GTI drivers)

I should also comment on its strength, because a Honda Civic once wrote himself off in a futile attempt to bend my rear bumper; he failed.

P.S. I bought this car based on a one-liner from Jerome Clarkson. “Saab – A seriously good value second-hand buy.” – He was right.

1996 SAAB 900 XS 2.0i from UK and Ireland

Faults:

The right hand side of the trip computer display fades occasionally (although it is still readable) and the glovebox door rattles occasionally over rough surfaces (yes you're right, I am picking holes now!).

General Comments:

A smooth, quiet, comfortable car which is perfect for long trips. There might be better cars technically for the money, but none which have captivated me so much.